Get out and explore! Georgia’s State Parks are a real bargain. And there are quite a few ways to enjoy them on the cheap, either as a day trip or an overnight camping experience.

Below are current and upcoming deals for admission and tours to Georgia State Parks and designated Historic Sites. There is also a complete list of the parks at the bottom of this post, with links for more information on each one.

Pictured above — Fort Mountain State Park, located between Chatsworth and Ellijay in Murray County, GA.
Photos courtesy of the Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources

Looking for info on First Day Hikes? CLICK HERE.

Looking for the Veterans Day FREE golf offer? Just scroll down!

4 ways to save on state park admission and parking

1.  Use the Library Loan Program

Got a library card? With the Library Loan Program, you can check out either a ParkPass or Historic Site Family Pass from your local library, giving you free access to Georgia’s state parks and state historic sites.
 
Here’s how it works: 

• The ParkPass exempts you from paying the daily $5 parking fee at state parks.
• The Historic Sites Family Pass exempts the admission fees for up to 4 visitors to state historic sites.

Visit the Georgia Public Library to find libraries that carry these passes. Plan ahead, as supplies are limited.

2.  Buy a Historic Site Annual Pass

Are you a history buff? You can save money by purchasing a Historic Site Annual Pass. 

This pass gives you unlimited admission to all of Georgia’s state historic sites. Passes are good for 12 months from the date of purchase.

You can buy online in advance, or purchase at any of the recognized State Historic Sites.

(Senior citizen discounts are not available on Historic Site Annual Passes.)
 
There are several options for purchasing a Historic Site Annual Pass:

• $50 for a family up that includes up to 6 people — this is a great deal!
• $30 for one adult (age 18 and up)
• $25 for a youth pass (one person age 17 or under)

3.  Buy an annual ParkPass

Regular price parking is $5 daily at Georgia’s state parks. (Overnight guests pay the daily parking fee only once during their stay, regardless of duration.)

If you plan to visit often, you may save money by buying an annual ParkPass for $50. The ParkPass is valid at all Georgia state parks.
 
Additional discounts ona ParkPass:

• Seniors (age 62+) can save 50% on the annual ParkPass.
• Disabled veterans who are Georgia residents AND present a Certificate of Eligibility card, as well as active duty and retired military who are Georgia residents, will receive a 25% discount on annual ParkPasses.

4.  Watch for special offers

Looking for a deal? The Georgia State Parks website runs special offers frequently, and you can find them listed on the site.
 
There’s also a searchable calendar listing of special events taking place in state parks. Some are free with paid parking and others have a fee — these can range from a free outdoor movie, to $3 for a nature talk or hike, to $15 for a twilight kayaking excursion, to $30 for a boat cruise.

To see the events in a list with descriptions rather than in a calendar format, click here.

Lapham-Patterson House historic site (photo courtesy of GA Dept of Natural Resources)

FREE golf on Veterans Day at Georgia State Parks

UPDATED for 2020

On Veterans Day — Wednesday, November 11, 2020 — all vets can play golf for FREE at any of these eight State Park Golf Courses.
Scroll down for links to each State Park page to get location, hours, and other info.

• Arrowhead Pointe at Richard B. Russell State Park
• Brazell’s Creek at Gordonia-Alatamaha State Park
• Georgia Veterans Memorial at Lake Blackshear State Park
• Highland Walk at Victoria Bryant State Park
• Meadow Links at George T. Bagby State Park
• The Creek at Hard Labor Creek State Park
• The Lakes at Laura S. Walker State Park
• Wallace Adams at Little Ocmulgee State Park

Golfers must call ahead for tee times, mention this discount, and show proof of service.

This deal is valid for all U.S. veterans, active duty, reserve military, and National Guard with valid military ID.

Veteran’s Appreciation Day at Hardman Farm Historic Site

In honor of Veterans Day, Hardman Farm Historic Site offers FREE admission to all veterans, military service members, and their families.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with tours of the mansion beginning at the top of each hour. The first tour is at 10 a.m. and the last one is at 3 p.m. 

 Military ID is required, and each tour is limited to 25 guests.

The Sautee Nacoochee Indian Mound at Hardman Farm is perhaps the best known feature of the Hardman Farm Historic Site, which is located just south of Helen in White County.

Find a Georgia state park or historic site

Tallulah Gorge State Park (photo courtesy of GA Dept of Natural Resources)

You can find a Georgia state map of park locations by clicking here.

Here’s a list of our 50 state parks and 14 state historic sites.

State Parks, in alphabetical order — the parks nearest to Atlanta are in bold text

A.H. Stephens
Amicalola Falls
Black Rock Mountain
Chattahoochee Bend
Cloudland Canyon
Crooked River
Dames Ferry Campground

Don Carter
Elijah Clark
F.D. Roosevelt
Florence Marina
Fort McAllister
Fort Mountain
Fort Yargo

General Coffee
George L. Smith
George T. Bagby
Georgia Veterans
Gordonia-Alatamaha
Hamburg
Hard Labor Creek

Hart
High Falls
Indian Springs
James H. Floyd
Kolomoki Indian Mounds
Laura S. Walker
Little Ocmulgee

Magnolia Springs
Mistletoe
Moccasin Creek
Panola Mountain
Providence Canyon
Red Top Mountain
Reed Bingham

Reynold’s Mansion on Sapelo Island
Richard B. Russell
Seminole
Skidaway Island
Smithgall Woods
Stephen C. Foster
Suwannee River Eco-Lodge

Sweetwater Creek
Tallulah Gorge
Tugaloo
Unicoi
Victoria Bryant
Vogel
Watson Mill Bridge

State historic sites

Never miss a post from Atlanta on the Cheap Your email address:* Please enter all required fields Correct invalid entries No spam, ever. Promise. Powered by FeedBlitz